On Tuesday, 18th of April our UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced a Snap General Election.

The UK government has confirmed that the General Election of 2017 will take place on the 8th of June this year. This is a pretty bold move as the last General Election took place just two years ago.

However, it’s important to note that the General Election is not set in stone – it will still need a two-thirds majority vote today in Parliament before it goes ahead and of course we’re anxiously awaiting the outcome.

That’s pretty likely to happen, given the fact that both the Conservatives and Labour have shown support for the decision so far.

This news is quite unexpected by many, and here we try to answer the questions that you may be asking yourselves right now.

Who will be able to vote in the General Election 2017?

To be able to vote you need to be a British or Irish citizen living in the UK; a Commonwealth citizen living in the UK (who has leave to live in the UK or who does not require leave to remain in the UK); or importantly for us, a British or Irish citizen living overseas who has been registered to vote in the last 15 years.

You can view a list of EU countries, Commonwealth countries, British Overseas Territories and British Crown Dependencies, here.

How to register yourself to be able to vote online

If you meet the requirements above, then you also need to appear on the electoral register to be able to cast your vote. If you’re wondering whether you are on the electoral register whilst living in the UAE, you can visit Your Vote Matters to find the contact details of your local registration office in the UK.

Now we’re on to the registration part. Click here and you can register to vote

This is where you can apply to register to vote and fill in and change a range of things including your name, address, change voting preferences (this includes whether you want to vote in person or by post), and whether you are on the open register or not. (The whole process takes around 5 minutes).

Important to remember, is that you will need your National Insurance Number as well as details of your new and old address if you have moved. If you are living abroad, like us, you will need your passport details on hand as well.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a reference number. The application form will be sent to your local authority who will contact you as soon as possible to confirm your registration.

It’s also important to note that your registration isn’t immediate so it is advised that you register sooner rather than later. If you’re keen to vote, we recommend registering immediately so you don’t miss out on having your vote count!

For more information you can visit the UK Government website at

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote